The buildup continues

Less than an hour until the green flag drops here at the Speedway, the drivers are on the track, headed to their cars, but are the fans headed to their seats? Along the front straight away, there are rows upon rows of bleachers still unfilled. There are still plenty of folks milling about the plaza and through the tunnel under the front stretch, but I don’t know that it will be enough to fill some of the holes in the grandstand.

And I can’t even see Turn 3 from here.

This being my first NASCAR race in person, the driver introductions were interesting. You can really feel the passion, both good and bad, in the fans. A roar went up for Jeff Gordon, but it was matched with an equal number of boos. Tony Stewart was much the same way when introduced, though he seemed to have more fans on his side than his Hoosier compatriot. And I really don’t think anyone will go home unhappy if Mark Martin in the #5 takes the checkered flag.

We’re 35 minutes away and I’ve grabbed a great seat to watch the green flag drop!